Extensible table



Dec. 13, 1960 J. H. YODE 2,964,372

. EXTENSIBLE TABLE Filed'June 12,1958 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHN H.V005@ f Dec. 13, 1960 J. H. YODER 2,964,372

EXTENSIBLE TABLE:

Filed June 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JOHN H. YODEI BYM, fM/W, 6M f 0WUnited States EXTENSIBLE TABLE John H. Yoder, Goshen, Ind., assignor toBarler Metal Products, Inc., a corporation of Indiana Filed June 12,195s, ser. No. 741,569

s Claims. (cl. 312-317) This invention relates to an extensible tableand more particularly to a combination cabinet and storable extensibletable. l i

An object of this invention is to provide a improved extensible table.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cornbination cabinetand extensible table having a plurality of table leaveswhich may bestored within a cabinet frame in nested position and which may be movedto extended positions away from the cabinet to form a ilush Vtable topand wherein each leaf top is spaced from the adjacent leaf duringretracting and extending movements to avoid marring the table tops, andin which one leaf may be individually extended for its entire width or aportion thereof to form a sturdy table top Another object of theinvention is to provide a table structure as defined in the precedingparagraph wherein each of the table leaves is mounted for movement in apath toward and away from the cabinet for extending and retracting thetable leaves and each of the leaves are mounted for movement in a pathtransverse to the retracting and extending path to place the leaves inspaced apart vertical relation during the extending and retractingmovement and to move the leaves into positions with their tops ush whenthe leaves are extended to form a smooth table top.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsin which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevational view of the combination cabinet andtable looking toward the front thereof with the table leaves stored;

Fig. 2 is a plan section of the combination cabinet and new and tablewith the table leaves in extended position and taken generally along theline 2 2 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken generally along the line 3 3 in Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the combination'cabinet and table similar'to Fig. 3 withthe table leaves shown in nestedretractedpositions;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view on an enlarged scale of theconnections between adjacent table leaves and taken generally in thedirection of line 5 5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a vertical enlarged section taken generallyl As shown in thedrawings, a baseA cabinet indicatedgenerally at 10 houses a plurality oftable leaves 11, 12

and 13 in telescoped nesting relation when in a retracted condition, asshown in Fig. 4. The table leaves 11, 12, and 13 may be fully extendedas shown in Figs. 2 and 3 or a top of a lesser length may be formed byextending less than all the leaves from within the cabinet 10. The endleaf 13 has a pair of legs 14 and 15 supporting the leaf relative to asupporting surface and also has a front panel 16 formed with pulls 17 toenable pulling the table out from the cabinet 10. The cabinet 10 inaddition to storing the table leaves has slidable drawers' 18 and 19 anda storage area closed by doors 20. The table is shown having threeleaves although additional leaves similar to leaf 12 may be used when alonger table is desired.

The cabinet l@ includes a frame having a front opening 25 through whichthe table leaves 11, 12 and 13 pass in moving into and out of thecabinet.

The table leaves 11, 12 and 13 are formed of rela-l tively thin materialsuch as sheet steel and each may have its top covered with a sheet ofplastic material or a coating such as plastic material or enamel, or thelike.

In order to properly illustrate the table construction, the leaves 11,12 and 13 have been shown as formed` of a material with a thicknessgreater than is actually used, except in Figs. 5 and 6. This hasresulted in an apparent stepped relation at the ends of the leaves asshown in Fig. 2; however, the actual use of proportionately thinnermaterial for the leaves would reduce the offset in the table leaves andprovide a table top which when extended would have a substantiallyuniform width.

The cabinet 10 Vincludes braces 25a which mount guide means in the formof elongated guide tracks 26 and 27 shaped as upstanding channels withthe channels outwardly facing and extending to the opening 25 in thecabinet. The guide tracks 26 and 27 rollably mount a carriage having apair of runners with the runner 2S disposed within the guide track 26,as shown in Fig'.` 6,- and a.

brace 31.

Each of the carriage runners 28 and 29 rotatably mounts five rollers 32,33, 34, 35,'and 36. The rollers 32 and 34 are mounted to have theirperiphery extend beneath the runner to engage a bottom ange 37 of theguide track, as shown in Fig. 6. The rollers 32 and 34 rollingly supportthe runners in their respective guide tracks 26 and 27 for movementbetween -a position within the cabinet, as shown in Fig. 4, and anextended position, as shown in Fig. 3.'

tend above the upper. sides of the runners and to engage an upperlflange 38 Vof the guide tracksV 26 and 27.V

AsV shown in Fig. 3,- the rollers 34 and 3S extend beyond the guidetracks 26 and 27 when the carriage is extended from the cabinet and abutton 40 `of a relatively frictionless material, such as nylon, ismounted on the bottom flanges 37 of the guide tracks outwardly ofthepath of travel of the rollers 32 and 34. The runners slide on thebuttons during part of their movement outwardly of the cabinet 10.

The first table leaf 11 has a top 41 and downturned end Walls 42 and 42aand is mounted for movement with the carriage runners 2S and 29 and formovement relative` carriage rollers 32 and 33. The cam plate 43 has alower step 43a and an upper step 43b. The cam plate 44 has'V In order toprevent tipping of the runners when extended the rollers 36 are mountedto exa lower step 44a and 'anupper step 44b. The cam plate structure isthe same for both end walls 42 and 42a of the table leaf 11. A pair ofabutments 45 and 46 are carried on the underside of the table leaf 11.These abutments coact with the cross brace 31 connecting the carriageruners 28 and 29 whereby as the table leaf -is extended outwardly fromthe cabinet the carriage is caused to move with the table leaf for apart of leaf movement and the carriage continues to move until the rearcross brace 30 engages a pair of stops 47, mounted on the inner walls ofthe guide tracks 26 and 27.

With the first table leaf 11 in extended position the leaf is supportedby engagement of the cam guide steps 43a and 44a with the rollers 34 and32, respectively. As the table leaf 11 is moved into the cabinet the camplates 43 and 44 move toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, relative tothe pairs of carriage rollers 34, 35; 32, 33 so as to have the rollersmove onto the upper steps 43b and 441?. This will lower the table leaf11 and during the final inward movement of the leaf the downturned edgeWall 5i) will engage the carriage brace 31 and move the carriage intothe cabinet. As the table leaf 11 is withdrawn from the cabinet thecarriage rollers will move onto the lower steps 43a and 44a to raise theleaf and during the final movement of the leaf the carriage will bemoved outwardly of the cabinet until the movement is limited by thestops 47 and 48.

The intermediate leaf 12 is mounted on the first leaf 11 :for movementtherewith and relative thereto during movement between extended andretracted positions and for vertical movement in a direction transverseto the path of extending and retracting movement to move the leaf 12between a position with its top flush with that of leaf 11 and aposition in vertically spaced relation thereto. This movement isaccomplished by having the table leaf 12 formed with end Walls 55 and 56each of which are formed with an elongated slot 57 which coacts with agrooved roller 58 mounted one on each of the end walls 42 and 42a of theleaf 1l. The end walls 55 and 56 of the leaf 12 each carry a groovedroller 59 which coacts with a slot 60 formed in each of the end walls 42and 42a of the leaf 11. The slots 57 have their rear ends 57a, nearestthe cabinet when the leaf 12 is in extended position, upturned to form acam while the slots 60 have their front ends 60a, farthest from thecabinet when leaf 11 is extended, downturned to form a cam. 'Ihus duringthe final extending movement of leaf 12 relative to leaf 11 the leaf 12will move downwardly because of the cam action of the slots and rollersto place its top in fiush relation with the top of leaf 11. Conversely,when leaf 12 is retracetd relative to leaf 11 the rollers 58 and 59travelling in the cam slot ends 57a and 60a, respectively, raise theleaf 12 to a position above the top of leaf 11 so the leaves rmay moverelative to each other without marring the top of leaf 11.

The outer leaf 13 is mounted relative to leaf 12 for movement in thesame manner as leaf 12 moves relative to leaf 11 and for this purposethe leaf 13 has end walls 65 and 66 each of which has an elongated slot67 in each of which is positioned a grooved roller 68 carried on the endwalls 55 and 56 of the leaf 12. The end walls 55 and 56 of leaf 12 eachhas a slot 69 which receives a grooved roller 70 carried on the endwalls 65 and 66 of leaf 13. The adjacent ends of these slots are shapedto have the rear ends 67a`of slots 67 upturned and the front ends 69a ofslots 69 downturned to obtain the movement of leaf 13 between a positionwith its top fiush to the top of leaf 12 and a position verticallyspaced therefrom.

The particular form of grooved pulley coacting with an end wall slot isshown in Fig. 7 and in order to associate the grooved roller with theslot each slot has an enlarged opening at an end, as indicated at 75relative `to slot 67, whereby the roller may be moved into operativerelation with the slotv in initial assembly of the table leaves. Theroller is mounted to the associated end wall by a pin passing throughthe roller.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that an extensible tableis provided in which the table leaves may be stored within a cabinetwhen not in use and in which a variable length table may be provided byextending a single leaf, a plurality of leaves or all the leaves. Whenthe leaves are in nested relation within the cabinet and during theirextending and retracting movements they are in vertically spacedrelation so as not to result in engaging and marring the top of anyleaf. As the leaves move into fully extended position by a pull on pulls17 they are vertically shifted relative to each other to result inhaving their tops tiush and immediately upon starting to retract fromextended position they are caused to move back into their verticallyspaced relation.

As shown in the drawings, each of the table leaves has an exposed topwhen in extended position and an offset top part at a lower level so asto underlie the top section of the adjacent leaf. It is believed obviousthat the leaf fiange 50 of each leaf could extend downwardly from theexposed top section and the offset part be omitted.

I claim:

1. A combination cabinet and storable extensible table comprising, acabinet frame having a front opening, a plurality of table leavestelescopically associated to be nested in spaced relation one above theother within the cabinet frame when in retracted position and disposablein extended position with the leaf tops flush to form a smooth table topextending outwardly from the cabinet frame, means mounting a first ofSaid leaves for movement in a path to extend said first leaf beyond thecabinet frame, a second of said leaves disposed above the first leafwhen nested, means mounting the second leaf on said first leaf formovement therewith and relative thereto in a path to extend the secondleaf beyond the first leaf and for movement transverse to said path ofextending movement to move the second leaf top into and out of fiushrelation with the first leaf top when extended and before beingretracted, respectively, a third of said leaves disposed above thesecond leaf when nested, means mounting the third leaf on said secondleaf for movement therewith and relative thereto in a path to extend thethird leaf beyond the second leaf and for movement transverse to saidpath of extending movement to lower the third leaf and place its topfiush with the second leaf top at the end of extending movement andraise the third leaf at the beginning of retracting movement, and legsextending from the third leaf engageable with a supporting surface.

2. A combination cabinet and storable extensible table comprising, acabinet frame having a front opening 'and internal guide means atopposite sides extending to said opening, a carriage slidable on saidguide means between a first position wholly contained within the cabinetframe and a position partially extending outside the cabinet and beyondthe guide means, a plurality of table leaves telescopically associatedto be nested in spaced relation one above the other within the cabinetframe when in retracted position and disposable in extended positionwith the leaf tops flush to form a smooth table top extending outwardlyfrom the cabinet frame, means mounting a first leaf of said leaves onsaid carriage for movement therewith and relative thereto in a path toextend said first leaf beyond the frame and for movement of said firstleaf transversely of said path'away from the carriage at the end of saidextending movement to raise the leaf top, a second leaf of said leavesdisposed above the first leaf when nested, means mounting the secondleaf on said first leaf for movement therewith and relative thereto in apath to extend the second leaf beyond the first leaf and for movementtransverse to said path of movement and toward the first leaf at the endof the extending movement to lower the second leaf and-place its topflush with the first leaf top, a third leaf of said leaves disposedabove the second leaf wnen nested, and means mounting the third leaf onsaid second leaf for movement therewith and relative thereto in a pathto extend the third leaf beyond the second leaf and for movementtransverse to said path of movement to lower the third leaf at the endof the extending movement and place its top fiush with the second leaftop.

3. A combination cabinet and storable extensible table comprising, acabinet frame with a front opening and having internal guide means atopposite sides extending to said opening, a carriage slidable on saidguide means between a first position wholly contained within the cabinetframe and a position partially extending outside the cabinet and beyondthe guide means, a plurality of table leaves each of a ysize to fitwithin the cabinet frame and nested one above another when retractedwithin the cabinet frame and disposable in extended position with theleaf tops ush to form a smooth table surface, means mounting a first ofsaid leaves on the carriage for movement therewith and relative theretoto an extended position outside the cabinet frame opening, a second ofsaid leaves having supporting legs movable to an extended positionfarthest from the frame, and means including at least a third one ofsaid leaves connected between said first and second leaves for movementrelative thereto and therewith in extending and retracting movementsrelative to the cabinet and for movement transverse to said lastmentioned movement to move the leaf tops into and out of flush relation.

4. A combination cabinet and storable extensible table comprising, acabinet frame having a front opening and internal guide tracks atopposite sides extending to said opening, a carriage slidable on saidguide tracks between a first position wholly contained within thecabinet frame and a position partially extending outside Ithe cabinet`and beyond the guide tracks, a `plurality of table leaves withdownturned end walls telescopically associated to be nested in spacedrelation one above the other within the cabinet frame when in retractedposition and disposable in extended p0Siti9n,..with-thele'af tops flushto form a smooth table top extending outwardly from the cabinet frame,means mounting a first of said leaves on said carriage for movementtherewith and relative thereto in a direction to extend said first leafbeyond the frame, a second of said leaves disposed above the first leafwhen nested, means mounting the second leaf on said first leaf formovement therewith and relative thereto in a direction to extend thesecond leaf beyond the first leaf and for movement transverse to saidextending movement and toward the first leaf at the end of the extendingmovement to lower the second leaf and place itsl top ush with the firstleaf top including, an elongated slot extending along each of the firstand second leaf end walls, a guide member in each of said end wall slotsand mounted on the adjacent end wall, the slots in the first leaf endwalls having their ends farthest from the frame when the leaf isextended downturned and the slots in the second leaf end wall havingtheir ends nearest the frame when the second leaf is extended upturned,a

third of said leaves disposed above the second leaf when nested, andmeans mounting the third leaf on said second leaf for movement therewithand relative thereto in a direction to extend the third leaf beyond thesecond leaf and for movement transverse to said extending movement tolower the third leaf and place its top flush with the second leaf topincluding, an elongated slot in each of said third leaf end walls havingupturned ends nearest the frame when the leaf is extended and guidemembers in said slots mounted on the second leaf end walls.

5. A combination cabinet and storable extensible table comprising, acabinet frame having a front opening and internal guide tracks atopposite sides extending to said opening, a carriage slidable on saidguide Itracks between a first position wholly contained within thecabinet frame and a position partially extending outside the cabinet andbeyond the guide tracks, a plurality of table leaves with downturned endwalls telescopically associated to be nested in spaced relation oneabove the other within the cabinet frame when in retracted position anddisposable in extended position with the leaf tops fiush to form asmooth `table top extending outwardly from the cabinet frame, meansmounting a first of said leaves on said carriage for movement therewithand relative thereto in a direction to extend said first leaf beyond theframe and for transverse movement of said first leaf away from thecarriage at the end of said extending movement to raise the leaf top andtoward the carriage at the beginning of the retracting movement to lowerthe leaf top including, elongated guide plates on the inner side of saidfirst leaf end walls having a first step and a second step at differentdistances from the leaf top, and rollers on said carriage rollinglyconfining said guide plates for relative movement along the length ofthe guide plates, a second of said leaves disposed above the first leafwhen nested, means mounting the second leaf on said first leaf formovement therewith and relative thereto in a direction to extend thesecond leaf beyond the first leaf and for movement transverse to saidextending movement and toward the first leaf at the end of the extendingmovement to lower the second leaf and place its top fiush with the firstleaf top, a third of said leaves disposed above the second leaf whennested, and means mounting the third leaf on said second leaf formovement therewith and relative thereto in a direction to extend thethird leaf beyond the second leaf and for movement transverse to saidextending movement to lower the third leaf and place its top flush withthe second leaf top.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS778,471 Arnold Dec. 27, 1904 1,129,800 Harris Feb. 23, 1915 2,240,551Cooper May 6, 1941 2,456,835 Nash Dec. 2l, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS:1,119,009 France Mar. 26, 1956

